I am pretty much at my goal weight now but still 29 % body fat. I strength train twice a week and cardio (long distance running 3x a week. Whats a good body fat percentage to aim for for a female? And any suggestions to reduce it?

Wow... the pics are definitely helpful. Thanks' date=' Fiddleman:)

I think I would be doing cartwheels everyday if I could get to 20-25%... not to mention, I would look awesome:)[/quote']

I've been at 23% before but it took me working with a trainer 3 times a week and lifting really heavy weights to get there. I loved it. Interestingly however, my weight was 185 lbs at that time. According to the actuarial charts I should have been at 145-150 to be not overweight.

I decided all the extra weight was muscle and let it go . In fairness, I did put on a lot of muscle that year. I was leg pressing 200 lbs, 3 sets of 15 with no problems. I want to be strong like that again.

I decided all the extra weight was muscle and let it go . In fairness, I did put on a lot of muscle that year. I was leg pressing 200 lbs, 3 sets of 15 with no problems. I want to be strong like that again.

You can be strong again!

Fiddle..........I was way over 25% a couple of years ago. I think at one point I was 37/38%.

And at 37/38%....I was in the gym pretty often.......but in the kitchen more often.

I think I was 45% body fat back then (before VSG) because I hardly lifted for a workout. It was all cardio, for hours, on my elyptical machine.

However, I binged on the worst imaginable high carb stuff and I got morbidly obese anyways. It was uncontrollable. I could not tame the carb beast. In the car, at home, at parties, you name it. The hunger for sugar was uncontrollable at times.

Lesson learned : nutrition must be clean before working out can have a meaningful impact.

How are you guys finding out what your body fat percentage is? I've been thinking of bodpod, http://www.bodpod.com/en/products/body-composition/adult-children-bod-pod-gs/bod-pod. They have one a few miles from my house and testing is $45.

Lynda

The gym I go to brings the bod pod there 3 or 4 times a year. I have used it a few times. It is supposed to be one of the more accurate ways to test body fat percentage.

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How are you guys finding out what your body fat percentage is? I've been thinking of bodpod' date=' http://www.bodpod.com/en/products/body-composition/adult-children-bod-pod-gs/bod-pod. They have one a few miles from my house and testing is 45.

Lynda

My trainer did it with calipers, I have a scale that came pretty close to what he used to come up with, but nothing is as accurate as the water-weighing thing.

How are you guys finding out what your body fat percentage is? I've been thinking of bodpod' date=' http://www.bodpod.com/en/products/body-composition/adult-children-bod-pod-gs/bod-pod. They have one a few miles from my house and testing is 45.

Lynda

I have been using my WW scale at home and medical scales at WLS Center. The WW scale is not that bad in accuracy, but does tend to adjust up and down based on hydration.

Isereno.....i had mine tested back in the Spring at a local university. They have an obesity/health center there and have three different methods of testing and i did all three including the water submersion one......which was quite interesting. The fee for all of it was $30. I plan to do it BEFORE the holidays.

Isereno.....i had mine tested back in the Spring at a local university. They have an obesity/health center there and have three different methods of testing and i did all three including the Water submersion one......which was quite interesting. The fee for all of it was $30. I plan to do it BEFORE the holidays.

I just looked this up too based on you saying you found it at a local university and I also found one! I have the WW scale too but not sure how accurate it is so it would be nice to know. But on the other hand once I know I might be so sick over it I get obsessed..like weighing myself every day!

I just looked this up too based on you saying you found it at a local university and I also found one! I have the WW scale too but not sure how accurate it is so it would be nice to know. But on the other hand once I know I might be so sick over it I get obsessed..like weighing myself every day!

What I've decided to do is worry about consistency now and accuracy later. What I mean is that my scale may be inaccurate and I may have more or less fat than it reports. Lets say it's off by 5%. But as long as it is consistently off by 5%, then it's still good information for me to track trends. Later, when I'm closer to goal weight, then accuracy is going to be important, and at that point, I'll probably get a professional to calibrate me and compare that to my scale. This is to keep myself from obsessing, as you say.

And because I'm a statistician so of course, I WOULD separate between consistency and accuracy because I'm geeky like that

Game girl where were you when I was in school. I took statistics 3 times before finally passing.

Game girl where were you when I was in school. I took statistics 3 times before finally passing.

Trust me I know exactly how you feel. I have to consult with my 23-year old son sometimes when I'm stuck. The last time he solved in 30 seconds something I had been wrestling with for two hour?s I seriously considered slapping him in the face before hugging him with pride.